Now that the triathlon season is over for most athletes, many are trying to figure out what to do next. As a coach, I always tell my athletes when the season is over to reflect upon what went well and in what areas improvements can be made. Was your bike strong but you were gassed on the run? Was the swim the discipline that kept you off the podium? This reflection helps guide what to focus on the off-season.
The off-season is a great opportunity to do three things:
Reintroduce yourself to your family! Training for triathlons, marathons or any other endurance sport requires a lot of time, which impinges on family. This is a time to invest in your relationships and strengthen the bonds that you have at home. Family, for me, includes close friends, as they are often part of the support structure that encourages us to be better at our sports.
Have fun! Training throughout the year at times can feel like a job…so take a vacation! Do the things that you have pushed to the side during triathlon season. Wanna go skiing, but were afraid to get injured during the race season? GO. Or try something new. Variety keeps things fun as opposed to just doing the same swim, bike, run, and strength. Any activity is better than no activity, and movement in different planes of motion may enhance your triathlon performance in the coming season.
Work on weaknesses. I advise my clients to pick one discipline and we focus on that by doing a specific training block. If you want to build speed on the bike, do an FTP training block to increase power. If you want to be faster on the run, focus on speed versus endurance (which is already built up). Working on your weakness can pay dividends heading into next season.
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Every athlete will have a different off-season focus. If you have questions about how to structure your off-season, reach out to me at john@axescoaching.com to schedule a free consultation.
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